Forbes recently released their 2017 rankings for The World’s Most Powerful Women. Featuring categories based on media, politics and finance. Here at current affairs we’re not all that focused on the dollar and hence our attention was immediately drawn to the political leaders featured, below lists the Top 3, with a quick run-down on who they are and why they received their ranking.
Angela Merkel (for the second year running!!)
Having fiercely held onto her role as Chancellor of Germany this year after an intense election, Merkel retains her title for the largest economy held by a woman. Germany’s economy reached $3.5 trillion in 2016, certifying it the 4ththlargest economy by GDP in the world (according to the World Bank). Merkel has the unenviable task of trying to keep the European coalition in tact following Brexit, while also attempting to keep the far-right party AfD’s influence at bay, who is trying to capitalise on the anti-immigrant rhetoric currently spreading around Europe. Merkel has a huge task on her hands and having been in the role since 2005, she is proving she is damn good at her job!
Theresa May
A newcomer to the Forbes list, the UK’s PM comes in at number 2! While May’s popularity faces constant turbulence, it can be said there is no right answer in her job. Praised by some, questioned by more and probably hated by an even greater number, May’s incumbency as PM has never been a stable one. Yet, with the UK’s exit of the European Union facing her, it can be said she doesn’t have it easy. But we can take a positive from the UK now having had 2 female Prime Ministers. We wait with baited breath to see if she can hold together an increasingly fractioned government.
Melinda Gates
Continuing her run as the most powerful woman in philanthropy as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, she is currently pushing a big focus on health. Coming from a laser health angle, Melinda is having a real impact. This has been demonstrated in the organization’s first “Goalkeepers” report, which highlighted maternal deaths are down by 57% in Ethiopia since 1990, largely thanks to the foundation’s tireless commitment to getting more mothers in healthcare facilities. This is someone using their position to give back to the world, and leave it in a better state than they found it!
The rest of the Top 10 featured head of the IMF Christine Lagarde, CEO of IBM Ginni Rometty, and the CEO of YouTube and Google Susan Wojcicki – these are some powerful women! We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s great to see more females in grave positions of power and while we may not always she their ideology or morals, it is important to remember satisfying everyone is never possible. But having an equal share of power between genders is; go girls go!